‘Our event next year as Round 1 of the 2013 Championship will be among the most significant ever in the long history of Australian motorsport with the introduction of the “new breed” Car of the Future specification V8 Supercars racing for the first time, with Nissan and a private team running AMG -Mercedes Benz E class models joining long- time rivals Holden and Ford.

With the Clipsal 500 being Australia’s largest domestic motorsport event, it is entirely appropriate that this new era of V8 Supercar competition should be launched on Adelaide’s famous city street circuit. Adelaide brought Formula 1 to Australia, and now it is introducing a new form of V8 Supercars’.

Mr Warren said the level of interest in the event would be at “an all-time high”.

‘You simply can’t overstate the importance of the 2013 event and the fact that Adelaide and South Australia has been selected to host the launch of this landmark progression in the sport.

It’s an absolute bonus for fans from around the nation who will flock to the Adelaide circuit and with the V8 Supercars Championship extending to the USA for the first time next year the international interest in our event will also reach a new level’.

The 2013 Clipsal 500 will be the 15th V8 Supercar event to be held on the Adelaide circuit.

Tickets to the event go on sale from today at Ticketek - phone 132 849 or online at www.ticketek.com.au – with new exciting options for fans.